MEDIA RELEASE

Little Fire Ant

The State of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) recently surveyed the Hilo Greenwaste Mulching Facility and detected Little Fire Ants (LFA) along the perimeter of the facility. None were detected in the mulch pile, in the greenwaste piles or at our Kona Greenwaste Mulching Facility.

The County of Hawai‘i (County) Department of Environmental Management and Big Island EKO Systems (EKO), with the assistance of HDOA, recently implemented an LFA control management plan at the Hilo Greenwaste Mulching Facility to reduce the threat relative to the spread of this invasive pest from our facility.

You can help prevent the island-wide spread of the LFA by making sure the greenwaste you bring to our sites is free of the LFA. Please read the brochure and flyer EKO is distributing at the Hilo site for more information on how you can minimize the threat posed by the LFA. The brochure lists recommended control methods for your property as well as HDOA contact information to report infestations. The flyer also contains info on our Hilo site control plan.

If you observe LFA within the mulch, we require that you do not remove the affected material and that you immediately contact site personnel prior to leaving the facility. DO NOT TOUCH THE LFA.
We appreciate your Kōkua in this matter.

You can also obtain a brochure by contacting the HDOA’s Plant Pest Control Branch at 974-4140. For an online copy of the brochure go to the website: www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/IP-LFA.pdf. For a copy of the County’s LFA control management plan go to www.hawaiizerowaste.org/recycle/greenwaste and click the LFA flyer link at the bottom of the page.

For more information on greenwaste recycling please visit our website at www.hawaiizerowaste.org or contact the Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division’s Recycling Section at 961-8554.